Desan (race)
The Desan are an ancient race, long extinct, which built a civilization from Mars which grew into a Stellar Empire.. They called themselves Desan (Desa singular), which simply meant 'Men'. They had many different languages, and the language spoken by the 'ruling' dynasty of the Triple Alliance varied greatly. Most names will be given in Anquanti. For the purposes of this article, Desa or Desan is the actual adjective of the species in question, while 'Martian' is a demonym for Mars itself and other lifeforms on it. Physical Characteristics Evolutionary history of the Desan is a result of a complex number of relationships between the species on the hostile environment of Mars. Although Mars prior to the Siege could support life and possessed an ocean, land was still an unforgiving environment, and the further inland that one went, the lower were one's chances of survival. Furthermore, Mars' environment was gradually degrading in habitability - its atmosphere was being lost to space, and its oceans drying off - Desan civilization therefore hung in the balance for much of its existence. Desan are a tall and lean vaguely humanoid species which evolved from a mix of amphibious and avian lifeforms. Their skin is bio-luminescent and changes color which reflects emotions, and in some cases, surrounding environment. Their bone structure was that of a honeycomb, which a long time before had been helpful in allowing them to fly, though they no longer can. Along with the honeycomb structure, the vestiges of wings can be found, a feature which usually diminishes by the time a child reaches adulthood. However, keeping with their avian roots, they have retained excellent eyesight and have a slender, aerodynamic figure. Like many martian lifeforms, they are ectotherms, or 'cold-blooded'. Like most life in the Galaxy, Desan are carbon-based. Also, as Mars was, in this time, oxygen-rich thanks to the presence of life, martians respired with it. Their blood was iron-based (hemoglobin) which is also the case for much of Martian biology. Water was their solvent. Early History: Origins of Civilization Although Mars was capable of supporting life, by the time the Desan had developed into a sapient species, it was already a hostile and bitter landscape. Most of the northern hemisphere was covered in an ocean, and it is along the coast of this ocean that the first cities emerged. Rather than domesticating herds of livestock early Desan societies would migrate to follow schools of fish to their spawning grounds. Eventually, they learned to cultivate crops in the water, and to herd and corral fish into easily-harvested sections of water. They became highly proficient at aquaculture. These measures were necessary because the soil was nutrient-poor in most places. The coastline was rocky and salty, and growing crops on land was found, for the most part, to be insufficient to feed and sustain a large urban population. Nonetheless, as cities boomed along the coast and developed writing and a social structure, nomadic groups made a living in the desolate innards of the landmass. They were pastoral nomads that often engaged in conflict and trade with one another as well as the sedentary peoples. Well into the future, up until the Siege of Mars itself, many continued to live this way, and their interactions with settled peoples had a great impact on the history and development of Mars and its civilization. Middle History: Warring States Era The transition from a global civilization to an interstellar one brought a number of changes to their kind, as it often does throughout recorded history. Most historians agree that this transition resulted in a fractured Desan society. Though Desan explored space, they did so under many different banners. Seven relatively small though important stellar empires formed and engaged in warfare, trade, intrigue, and exploration in their own distinct ways. The seven states were: *'Mars': Known to the Desan as Difangzhuoa or 'the world' or 'the creation' (in Anquanti of course), Mars was the homeworld of all Desan civilization and also perhaps the principal planet in their fractured empire. Mars had numerous satellite states and colonies to its name, especially in the Solar System, but nearby star systems exerted great power and kept Mars' empire small. Its biggest rivals were soon to be its biggest allies during the Imperial Era however. The five major cities of Difangzhuoa, which included Anquandisho, Hendelingo, Lanindisho, Dayankadian, and Panwenbeidisho, all served as the capital of the Stellar Empire (whether Mars' small kingdom during the Warring States Era or later during the Imperial Era) at various times, whenever a dynasty set up their administrative center in that city. It is worth noting that each of these cities spoke a different language, and this impact was often felt across the stars. The names of these languages, in Anquanti, were: Anquanti, Hendeti, Laninti, Dayanti, and Panwenti, respectively. The amalgamation of these languages is often referred to by historians as 'Desanti'. *'Durre Manthor': Known to the Desan as Baisqia or 'white-wall', the main source of Durre Manthor's power lied in its control of the only Boson Star for hundreds of light-years, and through this built a sphere of influence based on nearby minor worlds and their dependence on Durre Manthor-supplied dark matter Starship fuel. Nearby Mars and Hercules were major competitors however, and in addition Durre Manthor was always under threat of invasion from coreward species. Durre Manthor fortified this frontier while turning the bulk of its offensive forces towards its Desan enemies. The language of Baisqia was simply called Baisti. In the Imperial Era, Durre Manthor became a member of the Triple Alliance. *'Hercules': Known to the Desan as Manchichiyu or the beautifully enduring, Hercules was one of the most Earth-like of Desan early colonies, and the vast surface water reserves were put to use in traditional Desan aquaculture. Hercules was resource-rich, and had the urbanization and high food production in its favor. It grew to power a massive industry, largely through asteroid mining and gas giant exploitation, and carved out a small empire of vassal states. Itself only a few lightyears away from Mars, Hercules defied all Mars' attempts to subjugate them, and later would join Mars as part of the Triple Alliance. The language of Manchichiyu was called Manchti. *'Eru-Dishu': No longer inhabited, as it was pulverized by the Tarak, Eru-Dishu or 'two lands' was the most distant of Desan settlements and while the territory it controlled was one of the largest, the planets in this territory were usually younger and had less population and infrastructure than their counterparts closer to the homeworld and future capital. The language spoken here was Erudishuti. *'Almazhi' *'Tonghi-Mazhi' *'Asterzhima' While there were seven major kingdoms, some minor factions also survived into this era. *'Gomozhiwan' *'Walzhin' *'Ilnzhi' *'Irazhi' Late History: Unison of a Stellar Empire Main Articles: Ancient Martian Empire After Siege of Mars Main Article: Sixteen Kingdoms The outcome of the Siege of Mars raped Mars and destroyed its ability to sustain sapient life, but straggling frontier Desanworlds and colonies still survived the wars themselves. Like the Shara Remnant before them, the surviving Desan pulled together and went into hiding for around a thousand years. One-by-one, the colonies dried out, solidifying their extinction, though numerous attempts were made to restore the empire to its former glory, and some of these attempts came very close to success. Mars itself would be barren of any multi-cellular life, but the their obsession with preservation of records and data, along with Mars' climate which was good for this, meant that much of their civilization's achievements and the recordings of these achievements were safely tucked away on Mars. The Ishamshuk would arrive some decades later to collect these records and store them away in Ichtalu's Great Library of the Ancients. Exile in Andromeda As many races have noted, it is difficult to completely wipe out a civilization that has mastered interstellar travel. While it has certainly happened before and since, the Sixteen Kingdoms' Desan are believed to have organized an effort to explore and exploit the Andromeda galaxy, and today the sparse updates of goings-on in Andromeda which reach the Milky Way are highly indicative that a Desan enclave survives there to this very day. Life and Society Most civilizations in history that end up in a harsh environment, and forced to survive against the odds, develop a sense of 'order vs chaos', with Order being preferable to the latter. This distinction never seemed to occur to the Desan, in fact it seems that they embraced their chaotic and brutish existence. Kingship and Kingdoms Monastic cliques With their early origins as prestigious scribes, the monastic class gradually lost its monopoly on knowledge as time passed and the ruling elite concocted increasingly elaborate ways to undermine the intellectuals' power. A separate written language was created specifically to serve the wealthy, which became known as High Desanti. It was made, deliberately, to be complicated and difficult to learn, even to grasp at a level suitable for reading comprehension. The language was also ideographic (rather than based on phonetics) to promote it as a universal written language. Over time, its simplification lead to this being much the case. Some time later, the written script was simplified to allow the lower classes to gain the power of literacy too, which became known as Low Desanti. Increasingly, the use of Classical Desanti was outlawed and eventually disappeared entirely, existing only as a language of the declining Ecclesiarchy, and was considered a dead language by some and a dead script by most. This turn of events had little effect on their way of life. Scholars and intellectual elite still lived secluded from the rest of the population, in monasteries called Sanctuaries, taking a vow of poverty and charity. Receiving private education or tutoring from them was still considered prestigious, but more and more people sought the more convenient, progressive, and social environment afforded to the common man by dedicated learning institutions. Nonetheless, the nature of their way of life is what preserved much of Desan history and culture, allowing it to survive onto the present day. Mercantile cliques Fighting and Warfare War was a common fact of life, even more so for the Desan than most other sapients. The military was the most prestigious organization in a state, and commanded significant political weight and economic investment. Cities maintained strong rapid-response militias lead by dynastic retainers and augmented by mercenaries. To go to war was the most glorious option available for any Desan individual, at least in the perception of his society. But war was not the only aspect of Desan life that was violent. Indeed, ones' interactions with his family and friends were interspersed with aggression. Just like the many Desan kingdoms only came together the first time under great foreign threat, families often fought amongst themselves unless a more powerful family or dynasty threatened their position. Dynastic conflicts lead to wars which were fought on Mars regularly between major cities, even during the era of the Triple Alliance. Cultural aspects such as the 'desamakar' concept (explained under Culture) and acceptance that Might Makes Right simply encouraged a perpetual state of conflict in all spheres of Desan society. Life expectancy was relatively short, and few people died peacefully. Settlements and working life Slavery One unfortunate aspect of Desan society was the division between freedmen and slaves. Despite Mars' advanced technology, especially in artificial intelligence (arguably the most advanced A.I. ever created), an entire caste of people were considered property, and had no freedom of choice or individual destiny in their lives. Despite how widespread the practice of slavery was in the empire, only a minority of the empire's subjects were actually considered slaves. All slaves were not Desan - always 'released' prisoners of war, or enemy planets which had chosen surrender and vassalage over obliteration. They could never earn their freedom, and their descendants would be slaves too. Nonetheless, it remains one of relatively few examples of two, or more, sapient species co-existing on the same planet. Today, it is still stunning to excavate a Desan city, and find the bones of entirely separate species, some of which have never been documented before. Culture The Desan had a rich, flourishing culture, which bloomed ever more strongly during the Desan Golden Age. The Golden Age was a celebration of Mars' cultural achievements just as much as it was about its military glory and political affluence. There are two major cultural universals in Desan society. In addition to everything else, all Desan societies embrace the concept that Might makes Right. Only the strong have a right to exist, a right to a voice, a right to justice. Arguments were not won with logic, but who in the room had the mightiest army. Brute strength was not all there was to it however, and the Desan understood cunning, shrewd business and diplomacy, and adept political maneuver as well, all of which were seen as equally strong. The second universal is, going along with the first, that a person can be objectively worth more than another person. This lead to the idea of the desamakar (lit. person-price), the foundation of Desan law and stratification. A person's life could literally be bought - murder was acceptable so long as you could pay. This included anyone's life - even the ruler was not immune to this - wealthy person could kill him, pay the desamakar, and get away with it. When the Mejorul Dynasty made it so that the state is the prosecutor (as well as judge and jury) in all legal, civil, and criminal disputes, this lead to revenue from the desamakar to make up some significant portion of the government's income, in addition to tribute from vassals and tariffs on merchants. Naming convention Most names consist of the family's name coming first followed by one chosen by their parents. Children only have these two names until they reach adulthood. At this point, there is a traditional maturation ceremony, the finale of which is the child being sent alone into the hostile Martian landscape. They are not permitted to return until they have (or claim to have) had a vision, from which their last name is taken. The practice continued, with decreasing frequency, as time went on, up until the very end of Desan civilization. Architecture The Desan had an advanced knowledge of glassworking and masonry, and the raw materials for their structures was the foundation for their architectural systems. Most buildings were largely assembled from carved stone, often in the form of domes, concaves, and pyramids. However, the interiors were often made almost entirely of glass, with the exception of stone trims, doorframes, windowframes, and so on. Desan glass came in many different colors, but the favorites were black and blue and made checkered patterns of these two colors, though they were not the only ones available. Glassworkers and stonemasons were proliferate and their art was highly respected. The social status of glassworking was much comparable to that of carpentry and lumberjacking in Human societies. Cities Cities were always coastal or at least near a river or lake. No settlements bigger than a mining village, trade post, or military outpost were built further inland, although nomads lived in these regions for millenia. Most cities, especially newer ones, were built entirely into in a 'concave' style. Each concave was called a 'plot' and it was very difficult to expand these plots to accommodate a greater population. As such, building a new city required a great deal of forward thinking. Planners stressed the rule of making plots bigger, and thus deeper, than what might seem sufficient. If the city's population still grew past this point, then city builders took to building tall rather than wide. Problems arose if the city had its top covered - the equivalent of a city wall - forcing a compromise between security and the capacity the city could grow to. Homes The home, whether it was a common workers' house or a palace fit for a king, was seen as a temple dedicated to its principal resident. They were heavily individualized, but in general there was a standard foundation for most houses. They were usually assembled underground, with the entrance being through a manhole at the summit of a dome or at the bottom of a concave. Homes for slaves were simpler, and generally built above-ground where they are easier to observe and control. Military architecture Fortifications were built throughout Desan history. Rather than high walls or sloped flanks these forts focused on establishing a zone of control and forcing the enemy into poor ground, where he could be struck against with ease by a mobile attack force. Elaborate systems were constructed which tempted and baited the enemy (if used in combination with said mobile strike force) into a position where he could be trapped and annihilated. It is worth noting that in most Desan languages, the word for city, safety, haven, and fortress are all the same. Due to the Desan lifestyle, it seems that defensibility was often the most important factor for choosing a new settlement location. Art The Desan painted their lives and stories on walls and murals, and where they didn't write with electronics, they carved their words in stone. However, they also had an affinity with sculptures, and often used different shades of colored glass for decorations and elaborate depictions. Wallpaintings and murals focused on reflecting notable events, whether they were large-scale or simply something important to the individual artist. Popular themes in literature include parallelism, which was key to understanding the work of Desan authors. Stories often ignored chronological order, and drawing parallels between different frames of time was thus important to not only following the story but grasping what the author wanted to say. During the later years of the empire, stories took on a depressive tone, stressing the futility of war and the unforgiving nature of life. A famous story, set during the Second Desan-Tarak War, called The Ghost of Zhanuigur survives in the Great Library, among some others. It is an important literary piece as it is symbolic of the Second Unification and the political and cultural revolution that came with it. Sculptures and figurines of various materials, such as pewter, glass, bronze, and most importantly gold, were common. Colored glass often depicted deities and objects such as starships. Recreation Sports and number games were a common means of everyday entertainment throughout the history of Mars' civilization. A popular ballgame, along with its variations, was played for thousands of years, and served an important role in their culture and mythology. In addition, sports and games that mimicked warfare were common and popular. Mythology Although there were dozens of Desan cultures split between the coastal city-states and the inland nomads, they all were interconnected and shared a common foundation in mythology. However different groups prioritized different deities in the Desan pantheon, naturally. Desan mythology is a collection of myths and stories which describe the actions of a pantheon of spiritual figures as a means of entertainment, building community, and an understanding of the world as they knew it. It is important to stress that while the Desan understood the concept of a deity, their myths primarily focus on paranormal events which were witnessed by ordinary people. The idea of a 'spirit' (or, in Anquanti, zhaulai) was seen as a title bestowed upon someone rather than a divine being. Necessarily. Despite that, there are three deities in the conventional sense, which have the biggest presence in the creation myth. In addition to these there are many zhaulai who were given recognition for the adventurous acts and the traits they exemplified and stood for. To understand the Creation Myth, here are a few vital points: The Desan believed in the cyclical nature of the universe, a conclusion they had come to while being surrounded by cycles: the flow of the seasons, the pattern of birth, life, and death. Their homeworld, Mars, was known as Difangzhuoa which means essentially 'world of creation' or simply 'the creation', but the universe itself was Diwou Zhuanzhuoa, or Fifth Creation/Fifth Universe. It was the fifth time that the gods created a new mortal plane after the last four had been destroyed. The Desan expected their universe to be destroyed in the same way as the ones which had come before. Such was the will of the gods. It was sometimes called 'our age' or 'Age of Desan' however. The other four creations were named for the divine element, function, or instrument, which ultimately destroyed them. The universes were collectively referred to as the 'Five Suns'. *'Huyao': In the Anquanti language, Huyao is the name of the god of fire, earth, and metallurgy. His name is invoked when referring to fire in general, and the Anquanti word for 'desert' and 'wasteland' is Huyaodishu or "the firelands" which also referred to the ancestral territories of various tribes including the Mejorul dynasty. Huyao is not represented by any celestial object, but is nonetheless one of the principal gods, because he was involved in the creation of the universe (for his flames cooled to form the ground after the other gods allowed the fire to consume them). Huyao-centric peoples throughout Desan history worshiped him by burning rather than burying bodies, keeping a certain "holy" fire alight at all times, and meditating in the presence of flames (which was thought to impart Huyao's wisdom and foresight) *'Tayinkan': Often shortened to just 'Tay' in the Anquanti language, Tayinkan refers to both the god and the star Sol, which in mythology are one and the same. Tayinkan was not originally supposed to become Sol - among the other gods, it was agreed he would be the spirit of the night. However, just as they were about to be set alight by Huyao, Tayinkan seized the moment and jumped first while the others hesitated, and so became Sol. The heat and light released in this moment of sacrifice took from Huyao's energy. *'Tiankan': The god of the sky, thunder, wind, and snow. Originally destined to be the Sun, before he hesitated at the thought of his immediate annihilation, and Tayinkan jumped instead. The sky is considered almost as powerful as the Sun however, and was the realm of the spirits in general (since the Desan named stars and planets after their deities, as most cultures do). *'Shway': The god of water and rain. Shway jumped last, and, being water, tamed the raging flame of Huyao, causing the cool-down which eventually created the solid landmasses of Mars. But not before Shway spread water across Creation, leading to oceans, lakes, and rivers. The universe was thus created, through a fusion of water, the sun, the sky, and heat. Now we must explore the zhaulai. Zhaulai The Lords of Tiankan refer to the spirits which were celestial objects who lived in the sky (or Tiankan). *'Leymka': Leymka was born in an ancient Desan city which was, by the time these myths were written down, long gone. It is said that he ruled this city for 41 years before, for reasons unknown, he was cast into the sky as the spirit of Dawn, and would hail the coming of the day before Tiankan would. However, in anger, Leymka was said to attempt to shoot arrows at Tiankan, but he would miss and was struck himself. The counter-attacking arrow would split him in two - his one half becoming Chiyao, and the other fell to the surface to become the spirit of iron. Leymka, is, in fact, Earth, which from Mars' perspective would appear as a morning star, rising above the horizon before Tayinkan would. Leymka's other half, Chiyao, is Earth's moon. In later eras, these names stuck for the planets. *'Huoaway': Huoaway was said to be an intrepid, daring sailor, who was also a fearsome woman and loving mother. Legend says that she lost her children to the seas, and abandoned everything she had to set out to find them. Although she spent a lifetime doing this, she died without completing her quest - but not before striking a deal with Shway and Tiankan to become the spirit of the seas. Huoaway was said to guide ships to their destination if they swore to tell her if they've seen her children. Huoaway was actually Phobos, Mars' largest and closest moon. Because of its proximity and size, it proved useful for navigation at sea for centuries. She was the spirit of seafaring and commerce for many. *'Lanbolqun': Lanbolqun holds domain over dreams, nightmares, visions, and fantasies. It is said that he is the one who imparts the visions of the spirit realm onto those who are coming of age and seeking their third name. Customs in Death Desan were a violent, ruthless people, but had nonetheless developed a sense of spirituality regarding death. Besides, it's good for one's health to be able to dispose of bodies. Burial was a ceremonial ritual which was highly valued by many Desan - in fact, in early time periods, it meant that armies were reluctant to go on campaign, because they would be far from home and not be buried in their own soil. Obviously things eventually changed in order to accommodate far-flung wars of conquest. Clothing and Cosmetics Desan clothing was very simple and this basic fact did not change much with time. Both genders applied makeup. Cuisine As the Desan did not farm on land much, and had to take to aquaculture, they ended up developing a lot of regional tastes that all had one thing in common: seafood. Colors Blue and teal were lucky, protective colors, as they resembled the color of water. Plus, when a Desan experienced joy, their skin would take on a blueish coloring. Red was the color of fire, blood, and the desert, (In Anquanti, Huyaodishu or 'fire lands') and so rapidly became associated with pain, hopelessness, and desperation. In addition, a Desan's skin turning red indicated great anguish. Technology The Desan excelled with weapons technology, particularly so when it came to the manipulation of light and energy to create these weapons. Desan perfected the use of lasers in space combat, still the standard for warfare today, and developed tachyon fields to protect cities from orbital or ground bombardment. They were also excellent in working with artificial intelligence. They were experts in producing 'centralized command' components, which still form the basis of modern control systems. The imperial warfleet utilized self-replicating drones. Legacy Had the Uhara not brought about the First Unification, the Desan may well be a forgotten race in a backwater corner of the galaxy. They'd simply be a footnote, remarkable only for their especially brutal and violent society, a society that would have hindered them from ever being a major influence on the galactic stage. Instead, the Uhara Invasion allowed the Desan to harness this unsurpassed capacity to wage war externally rather than amongst themselves. The Desan were perpetually at war the entirety of their existence, and it would be their demise. In the process however, they forged an empire whose profound influence is still felt in the galaxy to this very day. Category:Races